Decatur's Bold and Daring Act: The Philadelphia in Tripoli 1804

by Mark Lardas, Steve Noon (Illustrator), Donato Spedaliere (Illustrator), Mariusz Kozik (Illustrator)

Overview

Hortatio Nelson, himself one of naval history's boldest actors, called the burning of the frigate Philadelphia by the United States Navy in 1804 "the most bold and daring act of the age." It is one of the classic examples of a naval raid, a cutting-out action intended to deprive the enemy of a ship. It made Stephen Decatur a household name, both in Europe and the United States.

This Raid title describes the mission to retake the Philadelphia, providing the necessary background to understand the raid and following Decatur and his party on a minute-by-minute account as he approached, took, and burned the Philadelphia. It is a worthy supplement to Osprey's other books about the Federal Navy, making it of interest to both serious collectors and new readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781849083744
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	07/19/2011
Series:	Raid , #22
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	1,068,432
Product dimensions:	7.10(w) x 9.70(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

Mark Lardas holds a degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, but spent his early career at the Johnson Space Center doing Space Shuttle structural analysis, and space navigation. An amateur historian and a long-time ship modeller, Mark Lardas is currently working in League City, Texas. He has written extensively about modelling as well as naval, maritime, and military history.

Table of Contents

Introduction 4

Origins 7

Initial Strategy 15

The Plan 23

Preble's Boys 31

The Raid 33

The Storm 34

Return and Approach 35

Boarding and the Fight for the Deck 39

The Incendiary Parties 46

Tripolitan Reaction 52

Withdrawal 52

Aftermath 60

Analysis 64

Conclusion 71

Further Reading 74

Glossary 77

Index 80

Editorial Reviews

“Even if you've researched the life and times of this American hero, this book will bring the story to life with its accurate illustrations and diagrams of the battle and the players.” —www.marsec4.com

“[The raid] reads like a movie and author Mark Lardas has done a superlative job of telling the tale. This is all enhanced by superb artwork, both modern and period to help drive home how truly fortunate Decatur was during the raid. It makes for a gripping tale that I am sure everyone who starts to read the book will find so engrossing as to be difficult to put down.” —Scott Van Aken, Modeling Madness

From the Publisher